


Hold On

by funnygirlthatbelle13



Series: Helpless [10]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Crying, F/M, Pining, The Ruby of the Sea is the Best Mom Ever, real world consequences for fairytale setup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24747664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funnygirlthatbelle13/pseuds/funnygirlthatbelle13
Summary: After the Mighty Nein return to Nicodranas, Marion finds out about what Isharnai put Jester through and tries to help Jester and Caleb sort through the broken pieces.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre & Marion Lavorre | Ruby of the Sea, Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast, Marion Lavorre | Ruby of the Sea & Caleb Widogast
Series: Helpless [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1636885
Comments: 22
Kudos: 133





	Hold On

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!!!! Thank you guys so much for the overwhelming support of Unworthy of Your Love. This is a little more of a filler installment, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

Perhaps it was a bit selfish, Marion thought, to be so happy that the Mighty Nein were back in Nicodranas so soon. But so what? They were in constant danger almost anywhere else. Being back at the Lavish Chateau kept her mind at rest. 

Or, at least, it normally would. Everyone had seemed… off, tense, quiet. Especially Jester, who had slipped into her room silently. 

That had been first thing this morning, and she still hadn’t seen her. Carrying a tray of room service, Marion knocked on the door. 

“Jester? I brought you some dinner,” she called.

“Come in, mama.”

Marion opened the door to reveal Jester sitting on her bed wrapped in a blanket, a book of fairytales sitting beside her.

“Hi,” Jester mumbled, averting her gaze. 

“What is wrong, my little sapphire?” she asked, sitting down on the bed. She placed the tray on the nightstand. 

Jester sighed.

“I don’t know,” she mumbled, “It’s just… so strange.” 

And then, Jester began to explain what had happened to her. How a hag had cursed her to fall asleep until she was given true love’s kiss. How each of her friends had tried one by one to wake her up. How Caleb’s kiss had woken her up and how that had upset him. How everyone had been disappointed with the results. 

“Oh, my little sapphire,” Marion whispered, holding her daughter close. This was… well, it was far too much for her to process. 

Jester pressed herself so close that Marion could hear her heart beating. 

“And-and now I don’t know what to do,” Jester said with a sniffle.

“Do you love him?” she asked, running her fingers through her hair.

“I mean- I guess? I hadn’t thought about true love or forever or anything, but… I like the way he makes me feel, mama. Caleb doesn’t… when we’re together, I don’t need to just be happy. If I’m scared or sad or angry, I know he isn’t going to be disappointed. And when we’re hanging out and talking together, it’s really great. We make each other happy. Or, I thought we did. He was so upset when he woke me up…”

Marion frowned. She didn’t know Caleb terribly well, certainly not well enough to psychoanalyze him, but there was obviously something going on that had nothing to do with her Jester. 

“Well,” she began, not entirely sure where she was going but knowing that something needed to be said, “You are young. There will be plenty of time for you to be in love, assuming that this is true love and the hag wasn’t lying.” 

“But Caleb is so squishy! And we get into fights all the time, so we might not have time!” 

“Well, that is always a risk. But if you are not ready for love, you aren’t ready. And nothing should force you into a relationship.”

Especially when you find your true love so young, she thought. 

“Thank you, mama. I-I think I just need to think about something else for a while.”

Marion nodded.

“There is a festival in town,” she said, “You could go there, have some fun.”

Jester nodded. 

“Okay, that sounds nice.” 

Jester kissed her on the cheek.

“Danke, mama,” she whispered. 

“Of course, my little sapphire. Have some fun, okay?”

Jester nodded before rushing out of the room. 

Marion sighed before plucking a grape off of the tray. There was so much she had to do before Jester and her friends left.

****

The Lavish Chateau had a small courtyard behind it. Plants of all shapes and sizes grew in pots littering the area, and a small fountain made of white stone trickled in the corner. The doors and staircases were painted a vibrant blue, adding life and magic to the hidden corner of Nicodranas. In the daytime, it was a pleasant hideaway from the rest of the city, gentle as it was colorful. But at night, with the deep blue, starry sky as a contrast, there was an almost magical glow about it.

And that was how Marion found it when she stepped out after a client. And there was Caleb, sitting on the ground, a torn up flower in his hand.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, eyeing him with curiosity. 

Caleb jumped to his feet, a tinge of pink flushing his cheeks. 

“N-not at all. I’m sorry, Frau Lavorre, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

She smiled, the foreign formality not entirely alien but still novel to her. 

“Please,” she said, “After all these months, I think we can be on a first name basis, don’t you agree?” 

The blush on his cheeks deepened. 

“I-I-I have never been on a first name basis with the parent of a friend before,” he mumbled. 

“Really, even now? You are still so formal when you go home?”

She knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as it escaped her lips, and indeed, a darkness clouded over Caleb’s face as he began to scratch at his wrist. It was clear now what she had suspected for a long time: this was not a man who had a home, or at least, a home that he could return to. 

Awkwardly, he sat back on the brick floor of the courtyard, still scratching at his wrists. Not sure what to do, she sat down on the flowerbed and looked upwards.Through the buildings, she could make out about half a constellation and both of Exandria’s moons. Ruidus was unusually bright, a small, glowy ruby amongst a sea of blue. 

“I think the others went to the festival,” she offered, hoping to be helpful, “Down at the pier? I don’t know if you want to join them, but…”

“Nein,” he said sharply, “I mean, Jester told me. I decided not to go.”

Years and years of being in the profession she was had taught Marion how to spot a story. And even if she hadn’t talked to Jester, she could have sensed that there was a lot more going on tonight than just a wizard wanting to stay home and study. 

“You could still catch up with them,” she suggested, “The festival is not so big. I’m sure you could find them.” 

“It’s too late for that,” he muttered with an unsettling chuckle, “It is far too late.” 

Marion watched as he pressed his eyes closed, his head bent down to the ground as he laughed? Cried? It was hard to tell. She wanted to comfort him, mind racing with strategies she used with her various clients, but her mind froze rather suddenly when she realized that Caleb had begun to hum under his breath. 

“Caleb, where did you hear that song?” 

His head shot up.

“Oh, I, um… I-I don’t know,” he mumbled, brow furrowing, “That… is not normal for me. Is the- is it an important song?”

“It’s mine,” Marion explained, “Jester was sad that there were no nice songs in Infernal, so I wrote her some. That one was always her favorite.” 

Caleb nodded.

“You are… a very caring mother,” he said. 

“Thank you,” she said, though her mind was racing. Jester had never wanted her special songs to be shared, even though she had no idea how special they were. If she had shared them with Caleb…

“So,” she said, “I heard about your latest adventures.”

Caleb sighed.

“I… I’m sure you must be very disappointed,” he said bitterly.

“I’m not,” she said with a smile, “A little surprised, I will admit, but not disappointed.”

“You should be,” he said, scratching at his arms, “I am not a good person. I do not deserve her affection.” 

“I don’t think that’s true,” she said, though with a very different man in mind. 

Caleb laughed bitterly.

“Frau- Marion, with all due respect, neither of you know what I have done. I don’t deserve to be a free man, let alone to be… held in high regard by your daughter.” 

Marion frowned.

“Love is not about deserving, Caleb,” she said, her voice surprisingly firm, “To think that it would make love logical, and you and I both know that it is anything but.”

A small smile formed on the younger man’s face for the briefest of moments before his frown returned. 

“But… I have hurt others before, those that I loved more than words have suffered at my hand. What if I hurt her too?”

And when Caleb looked up at her, she did not see a powerful wizard, or a depressed former beggar, or even the flattering man she was used to seeing around the Chateau. Instead, she only saw a lost, lonely young man scared of making the same mistakes he had before. 

“Well, you probably will,” she said, causing his eyes to widen, “We all do, even if we don't mean to. But we should still give each other the choice. I- as someone who had their choice taken away from them by the one they love, trust me when I say that you might be surprised by the risks someone is willing to take for love.”

“I- but I-“ Caleb stammered, “I-“ 

Marion smiled sadly before brushing a strand of hair from his face. A visible shiver ran down his spine. 

Oh, you poor boy, she thought, How long has it been since you’ve been properly taken care of? 

“Sh,” she whispered, “It will be alright.”

With only the slightest touch, she guided him so that his head was resting against her knee. Fingers began brushing through his hair as she began humming a slow, sweet melody. Caleb, for his part, began to tremble as tears began to flow. They sat like this for several minutes before she dared to speak again.

“Oh, child,” she said a sigh, “This will all turn out right in the end. Just hold on, and you’ll see.” 

“How? After all that I’ve done?”

Marion smiled.

“Because I know my Jester, and she will make it happen.” 

Caleb chuckled.

“Just, let her choose, Caleb. You might be surprised by her decision.” 

He pulled away, and she was relieved that he didn’t argue. But he did wipe his eyes, so…

“Danke, Marion,” he mumbled, “I… there is not much sympathy from the group, as I’m sure you can imagine.”

Marion smiled. She was aware of the way Jester had been able to charm so many of her friends, so she could only imagine how they were holding up.

“I can,” she said. “Now, why don’t you try to catch up with the others?”

“I-I don’t think I’m quite up for that,” he said, “But seriously, thank you, Marion. I… I think I know what to do now. It has been a strange couple of days.” 

She smiled.

“Then maybe get some rest. These days will pass eventually.” 

He nodded and smiled.

“Of course. And if you ever need to talk, not just about Jester, but anything. There’s a reason I have the position I do,” she said with a smile that he mirrored.

“I think I’m going to go study. Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight, Caleb,” she said, watching as he walked back inside the Lavish Chateau.

The moment she was confident that she was alone, Marion sighed and laid down. That had gone better than she had expected, though it was still a draining process. Even though she had a way with people, they did tend to drain her. 

Still, a hopeful bubble rose from deep inside her despite her exhaustion. She didn’t know what Caleb was planning, but she had a strange confidence that things really would work out in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there it is! Please tell me what you thought!


End file.
